


Another Chance to Dance

by Jakathine



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Adoption, Amputation, Body Horror, Emotional, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Pre-Canon, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-17 08:29:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3522443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jakathine/pseuds/Jakathine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Gazelle met Valentine one fateful day...<br/>(they're not shipped together. Ao3 wouldn't let me put an &)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Chance to Dance

“As you can see, Mr. Valentine, the youth in this facility are usually troubled, and many have some sort of handicap.” The facility warden explained as they walked to her desk, her face taut and her strict bun making her appear like a mean nun more than anything. Her outfit was all black from the turtle neck to her black flats, making the look even more appropriate.

Valentine shrugged and slid his hands into his jean pockets, “I’m looking to give a home to a kid who needths one.”

“Well….” She said, looking over her paperwork on her desk, “We’ve had a new arrival as of late. Only been here for a few months. She is very reclusive, however. Due to a car accident, both of her parents died and she ended up having to have both lower legs amputated.”

Valentine took his hands out of his pockets and twisted his ring absentmindedly, “I wanna meet her.”

The warden looked at him skeptically, “She’s been prone to violent outbursts, just to warn you, but follow me.”

As they walked past children in wheelchairs, children solemnly sitting on their beds, and children with empty glazed-over eyes that were filled with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness, Valentine grew apprehensive of meeting this young girl.

When they reached her room, the warden opened the door and there, next to the window facing the city, was a young girl of probably twelve sitting in a wheelchair, her lower legs bound neatly and a pair of prosthetic legs resting against the bed. She looked at their reflection in the window, before fixating them back on the outside.

“Gazelle.” The warden said as she stood to be next to the girl and place her hand on her shoulder.

The girl, Gazelle, reached up and gripped the warden’s fingers in an iron grip, only letting go when a faint squeak escaped her lips

“So sheth’s been like thsith since the accident?” Valentine asked the Warden as she flexed her fingers.

“Yes, I--”the warden started to say but was interrupted by a tiny voice.

“It wasn’t an accident.”

They both sharply looked at Gazelle, who was giving them a carefully blank expression as she repeated, “It wasn’t an accident.”

Valentine looked at Gazelle then back at the warden, “Can you give uths a minute? I wanna talk to her.”

The warden gave him a precautionary lecture about what to do should he need help before acquiescing and leaving him to speak with Gazelle.

Instead of immediately asking what he was curious bout, Valentine pointed to the prosthetics against the bed, “You don’t want to use those?”

Gazelle followed his finger and shook her head, “Too clunky. I tried….but I can barely move.”

Valentine nodded his head then patted the bed’s edge, “Mind if I thsit here?”

Gazelle shrugged and wheeled herself around to talk to Valentine face-to-face as he sat on the bed.

“What do you like to do?” Valentine asked, smiling at her gently.

At first Gazelle considered not answering, but this person seemed different than others who had visited her before, “I liked to dance. My parents they have – had—me in ballet since I could walk, and I was just starting to do performance dancing. The school I went to had a dance team…” she looked down sadly at the stumps of her legs, “I was going to join a dance club and crew when I got to high school….”

Valentine absorbed this, this flopped back on the bed and remarked, “You still could, you know. With tech like it is, good-fitting proths will work real well.”

“They’re expensive, though. I heard the warden complaining the other day, when she thought I was sleeping and in my room, about how expensive things are.”

Valentine sat up and changed subjects, “You said what happened wasn’t an accidenth. What makeths ya say that?”

Before she could stop, Gazelle found herself babbling the truth to this total stranger, “I saw the person who hit us, and he did it on purpose. I heard my parents say something, too fast for me to understand, and next thing I know were going around and around. My momma and I were ok, but then the person who hit us came up to our car. Momma told me to lay still, pretend I was dead and to close my eyes and keep them closed no matter what. I did and next thing I hear the man shoot a gun.” Tears welled up in Gazelle’s eyes, “I didn’t know what was going on, but I didn’t open my eyes for a long time, and when I did there was a hole in my momma’s head….and then my legs…” as Gazelle looked down, the tears spilled over onto her shirt, “My legs I couldn’t feel them and I remember an officer coming and pulling me out and I screamed and passed out…...next thing I know I wake up and from knee down they’re just gone…and both of my parents.”

He sat quietly, letting her sob and wipe the snot onto her sleeve, before he knelt in front of her, “I want to help. I wanna help you walk again, and one day, find out who did this.”

Gazelle looked at him, her eyes puffy, “Really?”

Valentine nodded and Gazelle smiled ever so slightly and wrapped her arms around Valentine’s neck just as the warden thumped her way back into the room.

“Your session is up, Mr. Valentine.”

“It’s all good, ma’am… Gazelle is coming home with me.” Valentine said, standing and taking Gazelle’s hand in his.

The warden narrowed her eyes and looked at Gazelle, “Yes?”

Gazelle nodded furiously.

“All right…get her things, and the prosthetics, and I’ll go get the paperwork in order.” The warden said, turning to the door.

Valentine waved his free hand, “Use those on someone else—I’ve something far better for her.”

“Ok, then.” The warden shrugged and closed the door.

“I’ll be right back, darling.” Valentine promised, giving her a kiss on the hand, “Pack your things while I go sign for you.”

Gazelle clutched at his hand for another brief moment before letting him walk out, and then she gathered together as quickly as she was able to, her meager belongings.

By the time she had managed to pack her little bag of stuff, Valentine was back, a wad of papers in his hands and a grin on his face.

“All right, lil darling, let’s go home!”

Gazelle thought the world of Valentine, and from that day forward, followed him through thick and thin, no matter the circumstance, and upon her last breath never once regretted it.


End file.
